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<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><font size="3" face="Arial"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><font size="3" face="Arial"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">Date: </span></font><st1:date month="10"
day="16" year="2003">October 16, 2003</st1:date><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><font size="3" face="Arial"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">Contact: </span></font><st1:personname>Joni Turken</st1:personname>,
410-897-0514, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:JoniT@BoatUS.com">JoniT@BoatUS.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font size="3"
face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"
style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: center;"><b><font size="3"
face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">DOOR OPENS
ON BOATU.S. FOUNDATION GRANTS <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"
style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: center;"><b><font size="3"
face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">FOR CLEAN
BOATING PROJECTS<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"
style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: center;"><b><i><font size="3"
face="Times"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Clean
Fueling the Special Focus Topic for 2004 <o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></p>
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face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="GramE"><font size="3"
face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The BoatU.S.</span></font></span>
Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water has opened the door for local
nonprofit groups to help educate mariners about clean waterways with the availability
of grants up to $4,000 for clean boating projects. The Clean Water grants
are designed to address issues such as petroleum pollution prevention, <span
class="SpellE">pumpout</span> education, and littering prevention.<span
style=""> </span>Although all clean boating education proposals will be
considered, the 2004 grant focus topic will be clean refueling of boats with
extra consideration given to those proposals that address the issue.<o:p></o:p></p>
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face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><font size="3" face="Arial"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">"There are specific actions boaters can take while
refueling to prevent small spills," explains </span></font><st1:personname>Margaret
Podlich</st1:personname>, environmental director for the BoatU.S. <span
class="GramE">Foundation.</span><span style=""> </span>"We are looking
forward to seeing proposals that effectively educate boaters about preventing
pollution in positive and practical ways," she added. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font size="3"
face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><font size="3" face="Arial"><span
style="font-size: 12pt;">Last year's grant program received 110 proposals,
a 65% increase over the previous year. Of these, 13 projects were selected
for funding.<span style=""> </span>To view previous grant projects, learn
more about <font color="black"><span style="color: black;">clean refueling,
or download a 2004 application, please visit <a
href="http://www.boatus.com/cleanwater/grants/">http://www.boatus.com/cleanwater/grants/</a>.
Applications must be e-mailed by </span></font></span></font><st1:time
hour="0" minute="0"><font color="black"><span style="color: black;">midnight</span></font></st1:time><font
color="black"><span style="color: black;"> or postmarked on or before </span></font><st1:date
month="2" day="2" year="2004"><font color="black"><span
style="color: black;">February 2, 2004</span></font></st1:date>. <o:p></o:p></p>
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face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span class="GramE"><font size="3"
face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The BoatU.S.</span></font></span>
Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water is a nonprofit organization
of BoatU.S. - <span class="GramE">the</span> nation's largest recreational
boating association with over 550,000 members.<span style=""> </span>For
more information on making <span class="GramE">a tax-deductible donation
go</span> to <u><font color="blue"><span style="color: blue;"><a
href="http://www.boatus.com/foundation">http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation</a></span></font></u>.
<o:p></o:p></p>
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face="Times"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">###</span></font>
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